Private 5G/4G Cellular Networks for Defense: 2026 - 2030

Synopsis

The military has a longstanding history of leveraging wireless communications, and some of the most significant wireless-related innovations of the 20th century originated in the defense sector. With significant advances in COTS (Commercial Off-the-Shelf) technology over the past two decades, there has been a growing focus on complementing proprietary solutions with 3GPP standards-based networks to deliver both local and wide area coverage for capabilities extending from smart base operations and tactical networking to ISAC (Integrated Sensing & Communications)-enabled sensing for counter-drone protection. Although public networks running over national mobile operator-owned RAN and core infrastructure are widely utilized for personal connectivity and non-sensitive IoT applications, defense sector stakeholders are increasingly turning their attention to exclusive-use, private 5G networks tailored to specific operational requirements in terms of security, access control, customization and specialized feature support.

Spearheaded by initiatives such as the United States DOW's (Department of War) FutureG program, South Korean Ministry of National Defense's private 5G project for unmanned and remote operations, United Kingdom MOD's (Ministry of Defence) Project Morpheus, German Army’s D-LBO (Digitalization of Land-Based Operations), Spanish Air & Space Force's BACSI (Connected, Sustainable & Intelligent Air Base), Italian Ministry of Defense's DII (Defense Information Infrastructure), EU-funded 5G COMPAD 2.0 (5G Communications for Peacekeeping & Defense), NATO's MN5G (Multinational Collaboration on 5G) and DIANA (Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic), armed forces around the globe are actively investing in both permanent and transportable private 5G networks for warfighters at the tactical edge, military bases and training facilities. The U.S. military, for instance, has multiple deployments across the continental United States and overseas, including operational networks for the Indo-Pacific and Africa Commands. Canada, Germany, United Kingdom, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Greece, Turkiye, Ukraine, Russia, China, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, India, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Jordan, Egypt, Israel and Brazil are among the other countries where experimental and operational networks have been deployed, operating in spectrum ranging from sub-1 GHz frequencies to bands n78 (3.5 GHz), n77 (3.7 GHz) and n79 (4.4-5 GHz), as well as mmWave bands.

The expanding influence of private networks is also evident from the recent use of rapidly deployable cellular systems for enhanced communications in military exercises such as the JIFX (Joint Interagency Field Experimentation) program hosted by the Naval Postgraduate School; Washington Air National Guard’s Exercise Phoenix Dawn; Italian Navy’s OPEX (Operational Experimentation) 2-25 in the Gulf of Taranto; German Army's urban warfare training drills; Norwegian military’s Joint Viking exercise in the Arctic Circle; SABAK, a joint exercise of the Philippine Army and USARPAC (U.S. Army Pacific) forces; U.S. Marine Corps’ Steel Knight and ITX (Integrated Training Exercise); JGSDF’s (Japan Ground Self-Defense Force) Nankai Rescue disaster response training drill; and REPMUS, an unmanned systems experimentation exercise led by the Portuguese Navy.

SNS Telecom & IT projects that global spending on private 5G and 4G LTE networks in the defense sector will grow at a CAGR of 24% over the next three years, collectively accounting for nearly $2.5 billion in cumulative investments between 2026 and 2029. The "Private 5G/4G Cellular Networks for Defense: 2026 – 2030" research package provides detailed market analysis and forecasts for private 5G and LTE networks across 16 vertical industries, including defense. The package includes the full edition of SNS Telecom & IT's "Private LTE & 5G Network Ecosystem: 2026 – 2030 – Opportunities, Challenges, Strategies, Industry Verticals & Forecasts" report and a datasheet with additional defense-sector private 5G/4G infrastructure and device market forecasts from 2026 to 2030, as well as historical data from 2023 to 2025.

Topics Covered & Forecast Segmentation

Report 1: Private LTE & 5G Network Ecosystem: 2026 – 2030 – Opportunities, Challenges, Strategies, Industry Verticals & Forecasts

This report covers the following topics:

• Introduction to private LTE and 5G networks
• Value chain and ecosystem structure
• Market drivers and challenges
• System architecture and key elements of private LTE and 5G networks
• Operational and business models, network size, geographic reach and other practical aspects of private LTE and 5G networks
• Physical AI, industrial automation, critical communications broadband evolution and other themes shaping the adoption of private LTE and 5G networks
• Enabling technologies and concepts, including 3GPP-defined MCX, URLLC, TSC, DetNet, SNPN and PNI-NPN, NR-U, RedCap/eRedCap, cellular IoT, high-precision positioning, ISAC, NTN access, IAB, network slicing, edge computing and network automation capabilities
• Key trends such as the emergence of new classes of specialized private network operators, shared and local area spectrum licensing, private NaaS (Network-as-a-Service) offerings, IT/OT convergence, unified neutral host-private 5G solutions, Open RAN, vRAN and AI-RAN, agentic AI-driven network operations, rapidly deployable 5G systems for temporary coverage, satellite backhaul integration, direct-to-device connectivity, 5G-Advanced feature adoption and the incorporation of private 5G networks into the building plans of greenfield facilities
• Analysis of vertical industries and application scenarios such as autonomous transport systems, collaborative mobile robots, reconfigurable wireless production lines, untethered AR/VR/MR, high-definition video transmission, machine vision, digital twins, predictive maintenance and mission-critical communications between personnel, drones, vehicles and operational systems
• Future roadmap of private LTE and 5G networks
• Review of private LTE and 5G network installations worldwide, including 200 case studies spanning 16 verticals
• Private cellular engagement database tracking more than 9,300 private LTE and 5G projects in over 130 countries
• Spectrum availability, allocation and usage across the global, regional and national domains
• Spectrum tracking database covering more than 400 spectrum access routes for private networks on a per-country basis
• Standardization, regulatory and collaborative initiatives
• Profiles and strategies of more than 1,900 ecosystem players
• Strategic recommendations for LTE/5G equipment and enabling technology suppliers, system integrators, private network specialists, mobile operators and end user organizations
• Market analysis and forecasts from 2026 to 2030, with historical data from 2023 to 2025

Datasheet 2: Private 5G/4G Cellular Networks for Defense: 2026– 2030 – Infrastructure & Device Forecasts

This datasheet provides private 5G/4G infrastructure and device forecasts for each of the following submarkets and their subcategories:

Infrastructure Submarkets

• RAN (LTE & 5G NR Radio Access Network)
  • Base Station RUs (Radio Units)
  • DUs/CUs (Distributed & Centralized Baseband Units)
• Mobile Core (EPC & 5GC)
• Transport Network

Device Form Factors

• Smartphones & Handheld Terminals
• Cellular Routers & IoT Gateways
• Fixed CPEs (Customer Premises Equipment)
• Tablets & Notebook PCs
• IoT Modules, Dongles & Others

Technology Generations

• LTE
• 5G

Cell Types

• Small Cells
• Macrocells

Regional Markets

• North America
• Asia Pacific
• Europe
• Middle East & Africa
• Latin & Central America